PLEASE include a brief biography with every submission (at the END of your manuscript, please). Please submit each story separately. We will accept up to 4 stories per author for this anthology to begin with. We may lift this limit as we get closer to publication.
Our standard writer’s guidelines apply.

DailyFrights 2013 is an anthology of HORROR/DARK flash fiction stories; each story is assigned a calendar day, offering readers the opportunity to enjoy one story per day—even with a hectic schedule.

Daily Flash 2013 is actively seeking HORROR/DARK FLASH FICTION, 500 words or less (firm). Any setting/time period is acceptable. (If your story is erotic, please submit to
DFE Quarterly; if your story only contains NO elements of horror, please
submit to Daily Flash 2013).

Curious about the type of content we are looking for? Check out Daily Frights 2012.

Expected response time is under THREE months (please query if you have not received a response within 90 days). We regret that, due to the volume of submissions, we are unable to give personal criticism.

Reprints welcome (as long as you have the rights back to your story). Multiple Submissions & Simultaneous Submissions are accepted.

This is a FOR THE LOVE project. Author will receive exposure ONLY. No monetary compensation, No contributor’s copy.

***NEW THIS YEAR: You MAY request a specific date for your story. Please note that while we will try to accommodate your request, we will NOT promise or guarantee any specific date placement in this anthology. Preferences will be granted on a first come, first serve basis (in other words, submit early for a better chance to get your specific date). You MUST request the date at the TOP of your manuscript (below the title and byline) or I will not try to place the story on a specific date.

Example:
Story Title
Byline Here
January 1 (or whatever date you are requesting)

We will do our best to place your story on a requested date, but we will not confirm ANY dates until the end-of-years calendars are posted on our forum (the same as we have done in previous years).

Thanks for submitting!

Okay, y’all. Dark fictioneer Claude Lalumière and I are co-editing a new anthology for Canadian Publisher Tyche Books. Canadian residents, citizens, expats, etc. are invited to submit 1k-10k stories about superheroes, supervillains, superpowers, or anything else SUPER. Any genre, any theme, any tone. Superhero vampire western set in the prairies? Okay! Superheroes fighting undead hordes in downtown Montreal? Awesome. Superhero serial killer roaming the tundra? First Nations super noir? Seriously, try us.

Deadline Aug 1, 2012. I’d love to see writers push the limits of the expected.

Here’s the original call for Masked Mosaic: Canadian Super Stories:

Superheroes! Supervillains! Masked vigilantes, superpowered antiheroes, super scientists. Adventurers into the unknown, costumed crimefighters, mutant superterrorists . . . we want to see any and all permutations of the superhero genre, but with a Canadian perspective. Stories should involve a Canadian element — setting, politics, culture, history, characters, etc. Any genre-mashing goes: alternate history, crime, horror, romance, SF, fantasy, surrealism; we want a variety of tones, approaches, subgenres, cultural perspectives, etc.
Submissions open June 1, 2012 – August 1, 2012. We have a pretty broad spectrum for inclusion, but Masked Mosaic seeks submissions only from Canadians (Canadian residents, landed immigrants, Canadian citizens, Canadians living abroad, etc). Pay: 1k-5k=2¢/word; 5k-7½k=$100; 7½k-10k=$125.

Over the river and through the woods does not always lead to grandma’s house or happy endings – especially if grandma’s house is infested with zombies… or if grandma is really a Lovecraftian being in disguise. Once Upon an Apocalypse is a two volume post apocalyptic anthology laden with the undead and otherwordly mythos crossing into the realm of fairy tales, nursery rhymes and other timeless stories. Editors Rachel Kenley and Scott T. Goudsward and publisher Chaosium are currently open to submissions for these two books of mixed up retold fairy tales.
What are we looking for?
For both volumes we want stories with strong narrative lines, stronger characters and a clear blending of the theme and the fairy tales. For Volume One imagine Cinderella arriving at the ball and discovering it filled with zombies. Or how different the story would be if it were Snow White and the Seven Zombies. Give us new horrors with Alice in Zombieland, and a Prince who climbs Rapunzel’s hair to get away from and find a way to defeat – you guessed it – zombies. In Volume Two we want a strong dose of Lovecraft thrown in. What happens to the townspeople in The Boy who Cried Cthulhu? Pinocchio is going to have a much harder time getting out of the Old One than the whale; a wolf would have been preferable to Little Red Riding Hood and the Byahkee and the Little Mermaid has so much more to worry about then her legs and a missing voice when she faces a Deep One.
Once you choose a story to change it’s your call how far you will take it. Make the apocalypse clear and give some meaning as to why the dead are meandering through the streets and munching on the breathing or why the Elder God has paid the town a visit. Plague, prestilence, bio warfare, meteor shower, tail of a comet… be creative.
Because we don’t want duplicates of themes, you will be able to follow the progress of the anthologies on our blog (http://onceuponanapocalypse.com) or facebook page (www.facebook.com/OnceUponAnApocalypse) where we’ll keep a current list of themes/tales accepted. For example, if we get a Sleeping Beauty story and it’s awesome, that will be it for the book. Stories should be 2K – 4K in length (please query for stories under or over our limit. We will consider them if they are of exceptional merit). The only true way to have similar stories is A Snow White and the Seven Zombies in one and Snow White Star Vampire Slayer in the other.
What aren’t we looking for?
We all know these are dark fiction anthologies, but gore for the sake of gore is un-needed. This is not splatterpunk or extreme horror. Sex? If the story calls for it fine but keep it to an R rating (maybe even PG-13). We don’t to hear about insertions and spurting fluids, unless is blood from a bite wound or a gun shot. Try to keep the violence towards animals at a minimum. In some mythos, zombies chew on animals and that’s fine, but we don’t want redneck zombies killing all of Bo-Peep’s sheep for a pie. Finally, though we shouldn’t have to mention it (but we will given the theme) – go easy on the child-related violence, please. And no kids and sex – that’s just skeevy.
Readingperiod – now through July 31, 2012 – or until filled.
Pay rates – Pays $.03 per word, no royalties and 3 free books and additional copies at 50% off cover.
Email subs to: ouaastories@ gmail.com
Format:
Stories should be an attachment to your cover letter email, NOT copied and pasted into the body of the email. The cover letter should include a single paragraph synopsis of the story and your publishing history. The submission should be in RTF or DOC format (no DOCX). Left aligned, 1/2” indentation for paragraphs, single spaced. Double space between scenes and use five stars (*****) for breaks in the story. Contact info should be on the first page of the story with word count.
Please do not query for your story until we’ve had it for at least 12 weeks. Publication is expected for the first half of 2013. No reprints and no simultaneous submissions. If we turn you down feel free to try again with a new story but give it a few days between submissions.
And please when submitting please be specific which book you are submitting to. We’re reading for both simultaneously. Subject line of the email should be Name, Story Name, Which book.

Alter Press is pleased to announce our 3rd submission call.
HEAVY METAL HORROR – A SPLATTER PUNK ANTHOLOGY
We are seeking previously unpublished stories of the most gruesome, demented and twisted tales your little mind can come up with. Give us your best punk rock style horror. Emphasis should be on originality, shocking and gross (with particular emphasis on originality). Don’t know what Splatterpunk is? Here is the link to the Wiki definition.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splatterpunk
=======================================================================
Submission Requirements:
Word count will be a strict 4K – 10K

RTF attachment – (This is imporAlter Press is pleased to announce our 3rd submission call.
HEAVY METAL HORROR – A SPLATTER PUNK ANTHOLOGY
We are seeking previously unpublished stories of the most gruesome, demented and twisted tales your little mind can come up with. Give us your best punk rock style horror. Emphasis should be on originality, shocking and gross (with particular emphasis on originality). Don’t know what Splatterpunk is? Here is the link to the Wiki definition.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splatterpunk
=======================================================================
Submission Requirements:
Word count will be a strict 4K – 10K

RTF attachment – (This is important as I have had issues with non RTF files)

Single Spaced

No Headers, Footers or Page Numbers

Use Italics, not Underlines

Place Contact Info and approximate word count on the first page of the submission

Payment will be a flat 10 dollars per story and a free copy of the E-Book upon publication.

I would like to see this in print form but that will depend on the response I receive. It will, however, certainly be in E-Book format

Deadline for submissions will be JUNE 30th. Extensions will be allowed only if the author contacts mePRIOR to the deadline.

Please pay close attention to the submission guidelines. If the story just blatantly disregards the guidelines I will reject the story out right (I understand that mistakes and human error can occur and I will work with the author on correcting them, but I have received stories in the past where not a single guideline was followed including contact info which should be the most important part of your submission aside from the story itself).

Send submissions or questions to alterbooks@gmail.com and put Heavy Metal and the story name in the subject line (just Heavy Metal if you only have a question).

Place Contact Info and approximate word count on the first page of the submission

Payment will be a flat 10 dollars per story and a free copy of the E-Book upon publication.

I would like to see this in print form but that will depend on the response I receive. It will, however, certainly be in E-Book format

Deadline for submissions will be JUNE 30th. Extensions will be allowed only if the author contacts mePRIOR to the deadline.

Please pay close attention to the submission guidelines. If the story just blatantly disregards the guidelines I will reject the story out right (I understand that mistakes and human error can occur and I will work with the author on correcting them, but I have received stories in the past where not a single guideline was followed including contact info which should be the most important part of your submission aside from the story itself).

Send submissions or questions to alterbooks@gmail.com and put Heavy Metal and the story name in the subject line (just Heavy Metal if you only have a question).

One Buck Horror are looking for shorts of 3,000 words or less for e publication in e book anthologies:

‘We strongly suggest that, before you submit to us, you check out a copy of One Buck Horror to get a better idea of what we’re all about. Copies can be purchased through Amazon andBarnes & Noble, and you can download free apps from each of these outlets so you can read them on any device, including phones and PCs.

We do accept simultaneous submissions, but please let us know as soon as possible if your submission is accepted elsewhere.

Artwork Submissions:

We’re always on the lookout for talented artists to create our cover images, as well as other artwork on the One Buck Horror website. If you are interested in contributing art to One Buck Horror, contact us directly. Please include links to samples of your work, when possible.

Payment:

One Buck Horror pays a professional rate of 5 cents per word for First Worldwide Electronic Rights and First Serial Rights. Payment is made upon publication.’

* * * * * * * * *

Samhain are looking for novels:

‘Samhain is now accepting submissions for our line of horror novels. We are actively seeking talented writers who can tell an exciting, dramatic and frightening story, and who are eager to promote their work and build their community of readers.

We are looking for novels—either supernatural or non-supernatural, contemporary or historical—that are original and compelling. Authors can be previously unpublished or established, agented or un-agented. Content can range from subtle and unsettling to gory and shocking. The writing is what counts.

Our criteria:

Between 12,000 and 100,000 words, for print eligibility minimum 50,000.

A fresh premise that can be conveyed in a marketing hook of 2 – 3 sentences

Believable, three-dimensional characters

A gripping, suspenseful style

Credible world-building that can make even the strangest creatures believable

Within the horror genre, not fantasy or science-fiction, though borders often blur

To submit:

Email the complete manuscript and a full synopsis that takes the plot from beginning to end as two separate Word attachments.

In the body of your email include a brief description of the novel, estimated word count, and your publishing history (if any) such as previous books, awards, and quotes from other authors or reviews.

Include contact info, and if the manuscript is agented, please provide agent info as well.

‘We are always open to submissions of new horror and dark fantasy short stories of up to about 10,000 words in length. Please follow these simple guidelines:

Send your manuscript mailed flat or folded no more than once, in standard manuscript format — typed (not handwritten!), double spaced, good margins all round, printed in black ink on one side of white paper, numbered pages, a key word from story title and author’s name on each page — with a covering letter and adequate means of reply (ie a stamped, self-addressed envelope or a working email address if outside the UK).

Please include a covering letter but don’t worry too much about it, just introduce yourself and list any relevant credits, things like that. If you’ve never been published before tell us that too — we’ve published many debut stories over the years.

Use a paper clip to hold pages together, not staples or any kind of binder. There is no need to put your manuscript in a folder. An ordinary paper envelope is sufficient, don’t use bulky padded envelopes.

Don’t send a submission by recorded delivery.

Make sure you enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope with sufficient postage for return of your manuscript, or send a disposable manuscript (clearly marked as such) with a small SAE for reply. Overseas submissions should always be disposable and accompanied by an email address for reply. Any submission that arrives without means of reply won’t be read, just recycled.

Please don’t continually query receipt or progress. If you haven’t received a response it’s likely that you failed to enclose appropriate means of reply. If you feel you’ve waited too long for a decision regardless, simply send your story elsewhere.

Don’t be offended by a form rejection. It simply means that we’re really busy, with lots of stories to read. But even a form rejection means what it says: send the rejected story somewhere else and try us with something new…and keep on trying! Don’t submit a rejected story to another of our magazines though, as we will already have considered that option.

Where to Send Your Stories

Black Static
TTA Press
5 Martins Lane
Witcham
Ely
Cambs CB6 2LB
UK

The editor’s name is Andy Cox.

* * * * * * * * * *

Clarkesworldare also open:

‘Clarkesworld Magazine is a Hugo Award-winning science fiction and fantasy magazine that publishes short stories, interviews, articles and audio fiction. Issues are published monthly and available on our website, for purchase in ebook format, and via electronic subscription.Original fiction is also published in an annual trade paperback series from Wyrm Publishing. We are currently open for art, non-fiction and short story submissions.

Fiction Guidelines

Word Limit: 1000-8000 words (preferred length is 4000)
Pay Rate: 10¢ per word up to 4000 words, 5¢ per word after
Genres: Science fiction and fantasy
Language: English
Rights: We claim first world electronic rights (text and audio), first print rights (author must be willing to sign 100+ chapbooks), and non-exclusive anthology rights for Realms, the yearly Clarkesworldanthology.

Stories must be:

Well-written. Language is important. There is no distinction between “style” and “substance” or “story” and “writing.”

Convenient for on-screen reading. Very long paragraphs or typographical trickery may work against you.

Science fiction need not be “hard” SF, but rigor is appreciated. Fantasy can be folkloric, medieval, contemporary, surreal, etc. Horror can be supernatural or psychological, so long as it is frightening. There are no barriers as to levels of profanity, gore, or sexuality allowed, but high amounts of profanity, gore, and sexuality are generally used poorly. Be sure to use them well if you do use them.

Though no particular setting, theme, or plot is anathema to us, the following are likely hard sells:

stories in which a milquetoast civilian government is depicted as the sole obstacle to either catching some depraved criminal or to an uncomplicated military victory

stories in which the words “thou” or “thine” appear

talking cats

talking swords

stories where the climax is dependent on the spilling of intestines

stories where FTL travel is as easy as is it on television shows or movies

time travel too

stories that depend on some vestigial belief in Judeo-Christian mythology in order to be frightening (i.e., Cain and Abel are vampires, the End Times are a’ comin’, Communion wine turns to Christ’s literal blood and it’s HIV positive, Satan’s gonna getcha, etc.)

stories about rapist-murderer-cannibals

stories about young kids playing in some field and discovering ANYTHING. (a body, an alien craft, Excalibur, ANYTHING).

stories about the stuff we all read in Scientific American three months ago

stories where the Republicans, or Democrats, or Libertarians, or the Spartacist League, etc. take over the world and either save or ruin it

your AD&D game

“funny” stories that depend on, or even include, puns

sexy vampires, wanton werewolves, or lusty pirates

zombies or zombie-wannabes

stories originally intended for someone’s upcoming theme anthology or issue

stories where the protagonist is either widely despised or widely admired simply because he or she is just so smart and/or strange

stories that take place within an artsy-fartsy bohemia as written by an author who has clearly never experienced one

Our submissions form asks for your name, email address, cover letter, story title, word count, genre and story. Your cover letter should contain your publishing history (if any) and any other relevant information (e.g, if you send us a lusty pirate story and happen to BE a lusty pirate, mention that). All stories should be in standard manuscript format and can be submitted in either .RTF or .DOC format. No simultaneous submissions. If you have questions, concerns or technical issues, please contact Neil via email.

After you have submitted your story, a tracking number will be displayed and an automated email confirmation containing this information will be sent to you. If you have not received this email within 24 hours, please email us. Your tracking number will allow you to monitor the status of your submission via our website, so please don’t lose it. NOTE: Yahoo.com occasionally treats our email as spam, please keep an eye on your spam folder.

Our average response time is under two days, but we occasionally hold submissions for longer periods. We ask that you:

don’t send queries until after two-weeks have passed. Use your tracking number to check on the status prior to that.

don’t send revisions to a submission unless they have been requested.

don’t submit another story for a period of seven days after receiving a rejection.

don’t re-submit stories that have been rejected. Do not query for permission.

don’t argue with rejection slips. You’re only wasting time.

If you are uncertain about anything above, we recommend following the most conservative interpretation.’

* * * * * *

Flesh and Bloodare also seeking fiction:

Fiction:

We will look at fiction up to 5,000 words. We are no longer considering reprints. Stories must possess a strong sense/feel of the strange, offbeat, darkly fantastic, unnatural, and/or surreal. We will not consider stories without at least one or more of these elements. Fiction that deals with serial killers, stereotypical plots (zombies, vampires, cats, etc), revenge, blatant gore, and sex will not be the proper match for F&B magazine. Contrary to the magazine’s title, we’d rather steer clear of the “flesh” and “blood” in fiction and place a bigger emphasis on the subtle and strange. Nevermind sending a proposal/synopsis. Instead, send the complete manuscript with mention of your background (if any) in the cover letter. We accept electronic submissions in the body of email (preferably) and as MS Word attachments.
We will only consider UP TO four submissions per author per year.

Poetry:
Same guidelines for fiction apply to poetry: strange, unnatural, and plain old weird is what we want. Keep poems down to at least one typed page or less, and please send no more than five poems at a time. Poems that rhyme will have very little chance at being bought; poems with themes about love, desire, heartache, vampires, etc will also not be considered.

Artwork:
We generally solicit artwork from one or more of our Staff Artists, but we’re also looking to add to this list. Feel free to send a portfolio of color/B&W art to the submissions address or attached as JPEG’s to Jack Fisher. Should we decide to assign you a job, payment will be negotiated.

Nonfiction:
F&B is staffed with nonfiction contributors, but you may send your book or magazine to one of our reviewers for possible review in an issue of Flesh & Blood magazine. For further information, see the Reviewerssection. If you have any questions, contact Jack Fisher or that reviewer individually.

Response time: 2-3 months, but averaging 1-2 weeks at present. There is the possibility that your submission may not make it to us via email. To avoid this, send it USPS. As redundant as this may sound to you, we DO get A LOT of email every day and do not appreciate having to match names to stories in an attempt to confirm receipt of a submission. Despite this and despite what you may hear about our swift response times, this is subject to change. DO NOT QUERY ON THE STATUS OF YOUR SUBMISSION BEFORE 90 DAYS.

Please include a SASE with all paper submissions. All stories must abide by “proper manuscript format.” Please send only one submission at a time and wait for a reply before sending another. All email submissions should be sent to the attention of Jack Fisher only and emailed to the appropriate address below. We are no longer considering reprints. If you have any additional questions in any regard, please contact Teri A. Jacobs, Assistant Editor. You may also contact Flesh & Blood Press directly at (848) 992-2230.

Evil Jester Press have a few openings for all of your delightful horrifically diabolical tales:

CARNIVAL OF THE DAMNED
Carnivals. Everything you could imagine from traveling entertainment – food, games of chance, sideshows, dancing girls, funhouses, fortune tellers, rides . . . and the seeds for nightmarish realities made flesh. Give us tales of monstrosities underneath boardwalks, circuses in the middle of nowhere, inner-city performances that boggle the imagination and sideshows containing what nature never intended.

Please supply a basic log line (1-2 sentences) about the story you’re submitting and mention any recent publications in your cover letter. If writing under a pseudonym, please include that information as well.

ABOUT THE EDITORS
Henry Snider is a founding member of the Colorado Springs Fiction Writer’s Group. For over fifteen years he’s worked with writers to hone their craft, taught creative writing at the high school and adult levels, organized contests and lectured on writing. More at http://www.henrysnider.com

David C. Hayes is a writer/editor/filmmaker type. He is creepy and enjoys creepy things. His films, like The Frankenstein Syndrome, Bloody Bloody Bible Camp, Back Woods and many more, are available worldwide. He has placed fiction in multiple magazines and anthologies including those published by Evil Jester Press, Bloodbound Books and StrangeHouse, among others and has written for national magazines like Outre, Brutarian and Cult Movies. David is an active member of the Horror Writers Association and the Dramatists Guild. Please visit him online at http://www.abnormalent.blogspot.com and try not to leave a mess.

HELP! WANTED TALES OF ON-THE-JOB HORROR

We’re seeking twisted, terrifying tales of corporate/institutional horror. From retail showrooms to stuffy boardrooms; government offices to taco stands; we want employees in peril. The workplace needs to be integral to your tale’s terror. In other words, don’t give us bank tellers held at gunpoint or ditch-diggers discovering malevolence underground. We want evil of an institutional, not incidental, nature. We don’t offend easily, but bear in mind: shock without substance is not what we’re looking for.

Zombies and vamps need not apply. We love the undead as much as the next dark fiction fiend, but we’re looking to blaze new trails. Supernatural stories will receive special consideration, but realistic stories can work, too. In addition, we’re not looking for poetry, flash-fiction, YA, or fan-fiction. Beyond these limits, take your mind’s eye to the max. Scare us! Enlighten us! Think Bentley Little’s The Store, Thomas Ligotti’s My Work is Not Yet Done, and Stephen King’s The Shining. Think whatever gets you through the night, but focus, dear scribes, on keeping the rest of us awake. Give us your best!

Please note: Do not use real names of business entities. Also, don’t disseminate proprietary information from previous or current employers. This isn’t the place to spill the secret sauce recipe.

Payment: ½ cent per word + one contributor copy
Reading Period: May 26th, 2011 until filled (Deadline TBD)
Word Count: 1,200 – 5,500 words
POV Limitations: Steer clear of 2nd person unless you’re Stewart O’Nan, Jay McInerney, or have penned the greatest 2nd person story ever told. 3rd or 1st person, past tense, preferred. Present tense can be problematic, but if you know what you’re doing, and the choice enhances your voice, go for it!
Reprints: Negotiable but rare
Multiple submissions: No. But if your story is rejected you may submit a new one.
Simultaneous submissions: No
Response time: 1-2 weeks
Font: Times New Roman size 12
Spacing: Double Space
Margins: 1”, left justified
File: .rtf or .doc (.rtf preferred)
Page number/headers: None
Contact information: Place contact information in the top left of the first page (Name, Address, Phone Number and E-Mail). Place approximate word count at the top right of the first page.

Send the story to spiderbond325 (at) hotmail (dot) com with the story title, your name and approximate word count in the subject line. Include a short bio in the body of the email. Confirmation emails will be sent within 72 hours of receiving your submission. Questions may be posted here or emailed to the aforementioned address (place the words “Anthology Question” in the subject line.)

* * * * * * * *

Blood Bound Bookshave a couple of opportunities:

GUIDELINES: NOVELLA, NOVELETTE, AND NOVEL SUBMISSIONS

We are now open to year-round submission queries.

1. We are looking for manuscripts of 10,000 – 80,000 words.

2. We are publishers of dark fiction. This includes science fiction, horror, thrillers, erotic horror, suspense, and other uncategorized works. We are not fond of limitations so explore your darkest side. For more info on what we want, please visit this section of our forum.

3. You MUST submit a query letter and the first chapter (or first 50 pages) before we will consider your manuscript. DO NOT send the whole manuscript.

4. If we think your proposal is for us, we will request the manuscript. If not, we will send you an email stating such.

5. Simultaneous submissions are accepted as long as you alert us beforehand and advise us if accepted elsewhere.

6. We are unable to pay advances at this time. Royalties are based at 40% net–we can negotiate more depending on author’s background. We ask for North American print rights for a three year period from the date of release. There will NEVER be any fees charged to authors for being published by us.

7. We pay royalties quarterly.

8. We provide editorial services, ISBN numbers, and artwork (but will take input for artwork or preferred artists for publication).

9. We will promote your books from our end using our own resources but expect our authors to be proactive in promoting their own work. Together we will work hard to market your book to our readers.

D.O. A. II: EXTREME HORROR COLLECTION

You were warned…but you just didn’t listen! So after the horrific success of D.O.A., we have decided to please the masses by releasing a second volume.

Volume II will be a more disturbing anthology (if that’s even possible), unsuitable for the easily offended, disgusted, or those prone to vomiting. We want stories, 750 – 5,000 words, that push the limits. The stranger and gorier the better. If you read the first installment, than you know that no subject is too taboo. However, we’re looking for you to exploit a lesser know taboo.

Keep in mind that we are not simply looking for torture porn or scenes of gratuitous violence lacking a point or direction. Blood and guts only work if there is a great story and creative twists to back it up. Imagine that the band Cannibal Corpse got together with Richard Matheson and penned a story. The result would be D.O.A. Think Edward Lee, think Bizarro, think…well, you get the picture. So if you ever had a story idea that you felt was too extreme or offensive for a sane publisher, send it our way. We want your worst!

Accepted stories will be paid a rate of 1 cent a word plus a contributors copy.

Stories will be accepted from May 1, 2012 until August 1, 2012. We will not make final selections until the end of the submission period. Please do not query about the status of your submission until September 1, 2012.

No doubt about it, woman view the world differently than men. When something scares us, it tends to hit all of our senses and get us emotionally charged. We tend to try to think things through, but are not afraid to kick ass to protect those we love. Dark Moon is looking for stories written by women for a special women’s only anthology. The type of story isn’t important (ghost, zombie, vampire, spider, ghoul, ex-husband) as long as it scares us.

Please no over-the-top gore or erotica. Just make sure you frighten us and show everyone that women know how to make those dark nights a little darker and scarier with the best of them.

Submission Guidelines:

• DEADLINE: June 30th, 2012

• PAYMENT: Authors will receive one complimentary copy of the anthology and payment of $20.00.

• Submissions should fall between 1500-6000 words, but a few words over or under is fine. However, submissions that are excessively long will not be considered.

• Submissions will only be accepted as attachments in either .doc or .rtf format e-mailed to darkmoonhorror@gmail.com. Please do not embed your story in the e-mail.

• E-mails should have the title of the anthology, the author’s last name and the title of the story. i.e. Vampires_Johnson_Fangs for the Memories.

• Include your real name (and pen name if using one), address, phone, email, story title and word count on the title page of the submission as well as in the body of your email. Include a brief bio (50 words or less) in the body of the email.

• Original works only, no reprints

• Format your masterpiece as it will be read, meaning use italics, bold, etc. when appropriate. Avoid the use of underlining and all caps.

• No headers or page numbers.

• Please use Times New Roman, Courier, Verdana, Arial or Georgia 12 point for submissions.

• Please do not use tabs or space for indentation. (Use the paragraph indent features of Word or Open Office, etc. instead. And remember, whatever word processor you use, save in Word or Rich Text Format.

• We reserve the right to reject any submissions not following these guidelines.

• By submitting your horror short fiction work to Dark Moon Books, you are assigning Dark Moon Books exclusive First World Rights for both print and electronic versions for a period of six months after publication. After that time period, you are free to resell your story as a reprint as long as first publication information is included. You keep all other rights including the original copyright.

• No gratuitous sex or foul language should be used unless it is integral to the story. Throwing in extraneous sex and four-letter words is not a formula for instant success. However, this is a publication for mature audiences and will contain blood, guts, violence, sex and mature language.

• You may withdraw your short story from consideration at any time, but this request must be made in writing (e-mail acceptable).

• Multiple submissions are accepted, but please send each story in its own email.

• Simultaneous Submissions: Since the majority of our staff are also writers, we understand how frustrating the submission process can be. For this reason, we have no problem with simultaneous submissions. However, please contact us immediately if your story is accepted elsewhere. And, if we accept your story, please inform anyone else you may have submitted to.

• Entrants selected for publication will be contacted prior to publication with further instructions. There are some instances in which we might ask the author for a re-write (with suggestions) if we feel it would improve the story and its chances of being published. We also reserve the right to edit submitted stories for length and content. Authors will always be contacted in advance if we choose to use their story. Authors will also always receive an edit of their story for approval prior to publication.

mixer character arcs/plots — subvert the epiphany!
As a genre, realist stories tend to overvalue the epiphany–ah, our Joycean legacy, and curse!–character arcs almost always follow the trajectory of problems and yearnings that end in realization, understanding—the bright light of Truth that changes everything, forever, usually for the betterment of the protagonist (really?). mixer is more interested in the Chekovean arc; plots that challenge the notion that people are able to change in fundamental and long-lasting ways; or that question the assumption that all change is good or that insight and understanding are possible at all (or for all). mixer seeks stories that explore the ways and whys of stasis—the reasons why people (and cultures) don’t change; or how change can occur so rapidly and repeatedly that the notion of a stable identity is challenged. Charles Baxter’s essay “Against Epiphanies” and David Jauss’ “Returning Characters to Life: Chekhov’s Subversive Endings” are required reading for mixer realists.

I don’t want to say that we will never publish an epiphany, but if we do, it better be a hard-earned, cynical, or darkly comic.

mixer “reality” — subvert “Nature” and “Truth!”

Naïve realism also too often accepts social constructions as “natural.” mixer realism is more interested in stories that interrogate the naturalness of what is socially and historically constructed. mixer wants contingent and relative truth, not big T absolutism.

postmodern style — mix realism with other styles and genres!

mixer also likes realist stories that mix in elements from other styles or genres: comedy (especially farce), black comedy, satire, parody, surrealism, fabulism, horror, noir, etc. The artful deployment of comedy or surrealism in a realist piece can go a long way in defamiliarizing typical realist motifs and assumptions about human nature and “reality.”

Payment: $25-$100 for online (i.e., Website) publication, depending on length and quality; $25-$100 for print publication, based on the same standard–some stories will be online only while others will be chosen for online and print publication; and at the end of each year, an additional $500 will be paid to the story that best represents Mixer’s aesthetic of literary genre–i.e., The Focus Story.

Please do not query us on the status of your submission. Response time on short stories and poems usually takes 3-4 months (sometimes earlier), but will fluctuate to 5-6 months if the submissions level is high. Novels and novellas are different: 5-6 month response time is normal but that can extend during busy periods to 10-12 months.

Queries are acceptable only if submissions pass the 6 month mark for short stories/poems and the 12 month mark for novels and novellas.

It’s not that we don’t like chatting with you, but if we answered everyone individually we’d never have time to put the magazine out! :)

We are currently reading submissions for upcoming Dark River Anthologies, its Stories pages, and Poetry pages.

We do not specialize in splatter and gore for the sake of it. Intelligent, thought-provoking horror is favoured over shock.

We only accept email submissions (fiction here and poetry here). Please ensure that they are in .doc, .docx, or .rtf formats.

Art submissions should be sent here, and should be in .jpeg, .png, or .gif formats. (We have to do it this way to avoid tonnes of spam. If you want to see the address where your mail will be sent, just hover your mouse over the link and it will show up at the bottom of your browser window.)

Important, please note: We expect a short cover email with synopsis, brief bio (including previous publication credits, if any), and whether or not, if published, you would like readers to be able to contact you. If so, let us know how. Any material/details shared with us will be kept strictly confidential.

If you can’t be bothered doing this, it is only fair to assume we might not bother to read your submission.

For written work, we DO NOT accept simultaneous submissions. However, we will consider reprints, but they must be exceptional.

We are looking for the following:

*Short Stories/Novellas (up to 15,000 words), no more than three per submission;

*Poetry (up to 100 lines), no more than 5 per submission (additional guidance for poets below);

*Cover Art (no more than three per submission);

*Art Portfolios (for eGalleries, three samples only please);

*Photography (for eGalleries or anthology covers, no more than three per submission);

*Short films/serials (again, contact us with a query and we will get back to you).

Payment will be made of 1 contributor’s copy. We will supply a written critique where we can. Each submission will receive a personal response from the editor

We require one-time print/electronic rights and print/electronic archive rights. Many magazines will not publish pieces that have been published in print or on the web. Once your work has been published, it can only ever be re-marketed as a reprint severely limiting the number of markets that will accept it, and drastically reduces the pay rate it can receive. It is up to you, the author, to decide whether giving up first print/electronic rights for no payment other than exposure is really what you want to do. It is our intention to publish anthologies in the future. We will contact you with a separate contract for this if your work is chosen. If you have any questions/queries, contact us here.

The editor would also like to note that there is no difference in the quality of work chosen for the website or the anthologies. Selections are usually made thematically and stylistically so that your work will receive maximum exposure.

Additional Guidance for Poetry

We here at Dark River Press love dark poetry. We are connoisseurs of dark verse, always sampling some silken morsel of words. To give you an idea of what sort of tastes and flavors our palates favor, here are some guidelines:

1. Send no more than 5 poems. The extreme cap is 100 lines–but if it’s long, it had better be good.

2. Must be exquisitely dark.

3. Formalism is welcome and highly encouraged. We love to see use of rhyme, meter, and especially both. However, we’ll look at anything–we can be won over by delightfully outré imagery; perilous and poignant turns of phrase; ravishing, bewitching vocabulary…. Whatever you send, it should utilize gorgeous language–it is supposed to be poetry, after all.

4. Poetry is not exempt from proper punctuation–we want to see periods, commas, semicolons, etc., all where they would be if the piece were laid out as prose. True, arranging lines as poetry sometimes changes things a little–but please make an effort. However, we do understand that to create some poetic effects, ‘correct’ punctuation is the enemy.

5. We are not afraid of uncommon vocabulary–you will not lose points for utilizing any word in the English language (why else do we have them?!) Neither do we shy away from antiquated or ‘obsolete’ words and usages. However, if you’re going to go this route–tread carefully, and be consistent.

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Stumar Pressare also looking for submissions for various projects- payment is 50/50 too!

Submissions should be emailed as .doc or .rtf attachment in standard manuscript format. The file name should contain the story title and author name only with underscores between words – e.g. “The_Ledge_Stephen_King”

Authors who have written enough horror short stories to warrant a collection are invited to submit a proposal for our consideration by emailing stumarpress [at] gmail [dot] com with a subject header of: “Collection Proposal”.

The proposal should include: –

Author biography

Details of each story to be considered for inclusion in the collection – title, word length, complete publishing history

One story only following the submission guidelines above (send in your best story only )

We will also consider previously published print collections that are not available as an eBook edition.

Novellas and Novels

We are looking for horror novellas and novels of 15,000-100,000 words.

For novellas please follow the submission guidelines above and submit a short synopsis plus the first 3,000 words of your novella – by emailing stumarpress [at] gmail [dot] com with a subject header of: “Novella Proposal”.

For novels please follow the submission guidelines above and submit a short synopsis and the first three chapters of your novel – by emailing stumarpress [at] gmail [dot] com with a subject header of: “Novella Proposal”.

Top Tips

As with anything else, the best way to find out what we are looking for and the type of stories we publish is to research Stumar Press.

We strongly advise you to check out our catalogue and have a look at the stories we have published previously before submitting.

Response Times

We acknowledge receipt of a submission within a few days. If you haven’t received an acknowledgement within a week please feel free to query if we’ve received it.

We do not state a service level agreement on response times as it depends on the type of submission. Although we are open to submissions all year round, we are a small independent publisher and have variable internal open and closed reading times (i.e. we read submissions in batches when we are not busy publishing a book).

If you have received an acknowledgement then we would ask you to be patient and bear with us. We will respond when we have had an opportunity to read your submission and consider it for publication.

Payment

Stumar Press are a small independent publisher with the primary aim of publishing quality eBooks. We will also publish a print-on-demand edition for some of our books.

There is no payment to authors up front. Our authors receive a 50% cut of the profits of any book – where there are more than one author (e.g. our Book of Horror anthology series) then each author receives an equal share of the 50% cut.

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Static Movement also have a number of anthologies running that need filling with your fantastic tales!

Dark Mountains, I’ve always felt there’s a darkness and solitude in the mountains… Not the well traveled touristy routes but off the beaten path.

I would like dark stories involving mountains. Whether it concerns miners, pioneers, travelers, vacationers etc.. I’d like a dark twist whether it be ghosts, monsters, survival of a natural disaster, survival of ones own mind but a mountain or mountains must be the focal point of the story.

Please submit as an rtf attachment to todd_sea_ward@hotmail.com with Dark Mountains in the subject line. Formatted to Static Movement guidelines please, (found here:http://staticmovement.com/formattingastaticmanuscript.htm).No word limits but the longer the story the better it should be!
Thanks for looking!!

Imagine stumbling across something while digging a basement, an archeological dig or an ocean dive…
What I’d like to see is dark stories of things long buried and forgotten, things lost whether it be in the ground or sea, whether it’s cursed treasure or a body.
Or even secrets buried in someones mind.
Please submit as an rtf attachment to todd_sea_ward@hotmail.com with What Lies Beneath in the subject line. Formatted to Static Movement guidelines please, (found here:http://staticmovement.com/formattingastaticmanuscript.htm).
No word limits but the longer the story the better it be!
Thanks for looking!!

Although my main addiction is horror I’ve always had a fascination with dark SciFi.
With Portals I’d like to see what others would if they were to come across and enter a wormhole to another dimension and or time. It can be naturally occurring, artificially made or conjured. (Please no fantasy!)
It can be set in the past, present or future. by horse, car, boat or starship, or even as something simple as opening ones closet in the morning to get ready for work.
No straight SciFi please, I do like a dark twist!!
Send subs to todd_sea_ward@hotmail.com with ‘Portals’ in the subject line.
Standard Static Movement formatting found here:http://staticmovement.com/formattingastaticmanuscript.htm
As for word limits I’m going to be generous and give up to 10,000 words, no minimum.
Thank you for dropping in to have a look and hope to hear from you soon!

I’m looking for monsters… Not run of the mill vamps and werewolves and zombies.. Although if you can write a good story about Japanese vamps or Indian shapeshifters I’ll give it a read.
For the past 2000 years all over the world there have been legends and lore about things that go bump in the night! Think Japanese, German, Early North American Aboriginals, African, plus many more! Any country, any time period. Obscure forgotten lore. They do not have to be from their own time period, (time travel, hibernation, frozen etc…) and I don’t care who lives or dies
BUT… The monsters must be factual according to their lore/myth/legend. I will be checking facts!!
And please, no made up fantasy type lands. Other then that free reign!
2000 to 5000 words, will be lenient if story is good. Any other questions please query before submitting.
Standard StaticM guidelines and formatting apply. They can be found here;http://staticmovement.com/formattingastaticmanuscript.htm
Exposure only, sorry, no freebies!
Please send as an RTF attachment to todd_sea_ward@hotmail.com and put Legends and Lore in the subject line.
Thank you for dropping in and hope to hear from you soon!

CALL FOR CONTEST ENTRIES (SUBMISSIONS)

PSYCHO CINEMA
Edited by Jessy Marie RobertsOPEN UNTIL FILLED(When anthology is 1/2 to 2/3 of the way full, we will set a deadline – see our forum athttp://pillhillpress.lefora.com for updates. If you have any questions or want more information about this contest, stop by the forum…)To submit, please use our ONLINE SUBMISSIONS MANAGER. Our standard writer’s guidelines apply. In your submission cover letter, please include the title of the story, the word count, list of collaborating authors, and a brief bio (third person) to be printed in the back of the anthology if selected for publication.

We are now accepting submissions for PSYCHO CINEMA!

We’re looking for HORROR stories with a strong CINEMA theme… this can be interpreted by the author in any way that connects the short fiction to the movies, as long as there are strong elements of horror. Things like: horror at the movie theater, horror on a movie set, horror featuring a horror film actor (fiction only, please; let’s not kill off real actors), horror at a drive-in theater, etc. As long as HORROR and HORROR MOVIES are present, the story will be considered.

About the contest…

Editor’s Choice Award (Jessy Marie Roberts): $100.00
The Editor’s Choice Award will be picked by the editor/compiler of the anthology; decision will be at her sole discretion

Contributor’s Choice Award: $50.00
The Contributor’s Choice Award will be picked by the contributing authors of the anthology. When the anthology is compiled, copyedited and typeset, we will send out an interior
proof to the authors to check their stories for last minute copyediting/formatting errors. At this time, contributing authors have the option to read through the other stories and vote for their favorite story. Authors can’t vote for their own story, and each contributing author can only vote once. No contributing author is required to vote, but all authors who do are entered into a “consolation drawing” for a free copy of the anthology.

Contributor’s Runner-Up Award: $15.00
Awarded to the runner-up of the Contributor’s Choice Award.

Consolation Drawing:
Every contributing author who casts a vote for the Contributor’s Choice Award will be entered into a drawing for a free copy of the anthology. We will draw THREE names at random upon publication and mail out a free copy of PSYCHO CINEMA to the winning authors.

ALL OTHER SELECTED STORIES WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE ANTHOLOGY FOR EXPOSURE ONLY. NO PAYMENT, NO CONTRIBUTOR’S COPY.

***If the same story is selected for the Editor’s Choice Award and the Contributor’s Choice Award, the winning story will receive The Editor’s Choice Award prize ONLY; The second highest votes in the Contributor’s Choice Award will win the Contributor’s Choice Award, and the third highest votes will receive the Contributor’s Runner-Up Award.***

Additional Info… PLEASE READ!!!

Original stories only, please. No reprints.
No simultaneous submissions, No multiple submissions.
Completed stories should be approximately 3,000-5,000

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Here’s a delightfully macabre one for you all…

Welcome to the most terrifying show on earth! Step into the Big Top if you dare and submit to Ephemera Publishing’s new anthology, PSYCHO CIRCUS.
We are seeking chilling tales of dark circus horror–think killer clowns, twisted lion tamers, raving mad ring masters. No matter what you choose to create, be sure your story takes place in a circus atmosphere.

Dark, light, psychological, bizarre, and twisted works are welcome as long as they contain strong elements of horror. We are looking for strong, entertaining stories will strong, interesting plots and great character development. Using gore and violence as a mere shock factor is a no-no; be sure these elements are relevant to your story’s subject matter. Supernatural tales MAY be considered as long as they are unique and contain a PSYCHO CIRCUS theme. No fantasy or sci-fi.
This is an OPEN call for submissions. Everyone is welcome to submit; we look forward to receiving submissions from both new and established writers.

PSYCHO CIRCUS will be available in both quality paperback and digital formats. The anthology will be edited by Eva Glynn Stephens, and will be available for purchase through various, well known venues. PSYCHO CIRCUS will feature a beautifully designed full color cover, featuring custom art work.
This is a CONTEST anthology. Accepted works will be judged and prizes will be awarded as follows:

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Best of Anthology–Winning story will be featured as the anthology’s opening tale, and the author will be awarded $50.00 and one copy of PSYCHO CIRCUS

1st Place: $25.00

2nd Place: $15.00
3rd Place: $10.00

All other accepted submissions will be given exposure only

All submissions will be entered in a drawing for a chance to win a free paperback copy of PSYCHO CIRCUS.

At this time no submission deadline has been set, but we are planning a TENTATIVE Halloween release. Response time is currently 7-10 days, subject to change, depending upon the number of submissions we receive.
WORD COUNT: 1,000-7,000 firm

AUTHOR BIO: Please include a brief (1-2 paragraph) bio at the end of your manuscript.

Manuscripts should be double spaced, written in Times New Roman, 12 pt., black. Be sure to include the title of work and your name on the first page of your manuscript. Save your work as .doc, .docx, or .rtf, and send it as an attachment to ephemerapublishing[at]gmail.com. In the email subject line, please type PSYCHO CIRCUS/YOUR LAST NAME/TITLE/WORD COUNT.

We look forward to reading your work

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Yurei Press want your stories NOW!

Submissions for the 2012 Horror/Fear/Dark Fantasy Anthology

Title: The Evil Inside

Theme: Stories that instill a feeling of dread or foreboding. Something evil is contained, but someone releases it by accident. Feel free to explore different avenues. Is evil contained in an abandoned factory? How about a shoebox at the top of Grandma’s closet, or the new kid on the block? How does it get released, and what happens thereafter.

Submission period is March 27, 2012 through June 15, 2012

Publication date is October 1, 2012

Authors submit only one story per anthology

Stories must be from 500 to 4,500 words.

We are expecting a six-week notification window

Query after eight weeks

Unpublished works paid $25, reprints $15.

Accepting four dark poems, minimum 15 lines. Pays $10.

One year exclusive world rights, non-exclusive thereafter.

Print and digital versions will be produced. Contributors will receive a digital copy.

See our general guidelines for details. Payment within 30 days of publication by check.